Tens of thousands of public transport workers walked off the job in a strike in Germany, leaving commuters on empty platforms as they face freezing temperatures.
Verdi, which represents almost 100,000 transport workers, called the strike after talks with municipal and state employers over working conditions stalled last week.
The union is demanding shorter shifts, longer rest breaks and higher pay for night and weekend work.
The walkout has impacted about 150 municipal transport companies in all but one of Germany’s 16 federal states, including Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen.
This was one of the largest coordinated actions in the local transport sector in years.
Leading negotiator for Verdi, Serat Canyurt, told RBB radio that the strike began as planned and that public transport operators were now expected to return to the negotiating table.
In Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Freiburg, services will grind to a halt for the entire day, union officials said.
As temperatures fall below zero, commuters will have to seek alternative transportation.
Still, Deutsche Bahn said its urban railway S-Bahn trains in cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, along with long-distance services, would run as normal on Monday as Verdi did not represent staff.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for 9 February.
Union leaders warned that further industrial action could follow if employers do not offer significant concessions.
